About

Gerard left full-time practice for academia in 1963. But he returned to full-time practice in 1980.

Since then he has practised in all areas of law except Family Law. He believes that he is the last silk with a general rather than a specialised practice.

He has appeared in the High Court in matters involving: intellectual property (Nintendo & Co Ltd v. Centronics Co Ltd.); constitutional law (notably the Tasmanian Dams case); administrative law (A. v. Hayden; FTZK v. Minister for Immigration; Clyne v. DPP; and other cases); bankruptcy (Pyramid Building Society (in liquidation) v. Terry); and criminal law (Mills v Meeking, and other cases). But he also practises in trust and equity matters and in the personal injury field.

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His present practice is mainly in the Victorian Supreme Court and Court of Appeal primarily in the areas of administrative law, criminal law and commercial law with emphasis on the areas of criminal law and commercial law which overlap with administrative law.

He is the author of a number of books and services in the areas of procedure and criminal law.

During the period he spent in academia he held the positions of Foundation Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Papua New Guinea and Professor and ultimately Dean of Law at Monash University. He has been Senior Fulbright Fellow, a visiting Professor at Boston College Law School, a visiting Fellow at Trinity College, Oxford and recipient of a Carnegie Fellowship.

In 2012 RMIT University awarded him the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences (Honoris Causa) for his services to legal education and the legal profession.

From 06/05/2010: Professional Standards Act 2003 [Vic] “Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.”